Post #16: Audio - ipadio

The ipadio app allows the user to record, upload and share music.  After downloading the app, it requires the user to register with ipadio before the app can be used.  Recording is very easy, as the target on the screen is the "record" and "pause" button and it is easy to see and use.  For the other features, I had to consult the "help" screen because it's pretty unclear how anything else works (or maybe it's just me, as I rarely use mobile devices and apps).  The help screen (accessed by the "i" in the upper right corner)  assisted me in figuring out how to use the other features - the directions are arranged by section and the sections are well-labeled, so it is easy to find what you need.  I recorded myself playing "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" on guitar and then uploaded it to ipadio.  I was surprised at the variety of features on ipadio - audio recordings can be trimmed and edited just like on the "professional" audio software for P.C.s.  I think this app would be incredibly useful for a music class.  Students could make recordings of songs or instrumentals, solo or with a group, and then play them back to see how they sound.  Is everyone hitting the right note?  Do the instruments need to be mixed differently?  How is the vocal solo coming along for the spring choir concert next week?  The ipadio app can do all of these things.  It won't take the place of software with more options, but it does offer some great tools to help people practice or share music.  Libraries could even use this app and have children or teens record themselves playing an instrument or singing and use the recordings in a contest or as a way to share young peoples' talents with the public.  Ipadio is a cool program - and I think kids would love it.

Post #15: Videos - iVisual info Touch

The iVisual Touch app comes in in both a free and paid version.  I tried all of the features on the free version and it feels  a lot like a simplified art and design program.  The app provides different choices of background (patterns and a map of the world).  The user can place objects and texts over the background and create a scene or artistic design; messages can then be added to explain the graphics or add to the creation.  There are a variety of colors that can be applied to the objects and text to further customize the design.  The program would never take the place of a program like Microsoft Paint, but a user could easily produce some interesting business graphics that incorporate data and pictures.  So I think this program could be useful to a high school business/marketing class.  A math class like geometry could use the shapes to help students visualize math problems.  The program could be used for creating electronic signage for the library, such as an "electronic display" that changes every few minutes and contains infographics for categories such as "new books," "spy thrillers" "what's new at the library" or almost anything.  In today's world, much of the information presented to the public needs to be catchy and short, due to decreasing attention spans, and this app could help with any number of library or classroom graphics.  It's simple, but allows for creativity.

Post #10: Sharing Photos - Instagram

Instagram is an app/site directed at people who like to share photos, but its benefits depend on the user.  I signed up and viewed some of my friend's accounts based on Facebook contacts.  After playing around with Instagram and posting some photos of my own, I decided that it is absolutely not an app I would use.  I didn't feel like it was much different than viewing their photos on Facebook, honestly, although there are some ways to edit photos - cropping, changing the colors and turning the photo.  Other apps designed specifically for photo editing have more options (as far as I can tell) and do this much better.  I think Instagram would be useful for almost any library (public, school or even academic/college) because it is a good way for an organization to share photos and let people in the community know about programs, activities and new additions.  Many businesses have accounts on multiple types of social media and I think it is important for libraries to do the same thing - it reaches more people because not everyone uses the same kinds of social media.  By reaching more people, it increases patron usage of the library, which is ultimately the goal of all libraries.  By posting photos of classes, new technology, or reading programs, peoples' interest will be piqued and they will, hopefully, stop in the library to participate.  Instagram would be especially useful at reaching young people, as they often post "selfies" and are sharing photos through the app.  Libraries need to enhance their public profile and Instagram can help them do that.

Post #9: Taking and Editing Photos: Photo Editor By Aviary

Photo Editor is an interesting program to "dress up" photos using a variety of visual adjustments and enhancements.  I used a photo from my garden that my wife took a few years ago.  Since I like plants and gardening, I thought it would be nice to see how the app would work on a photo of some flowers - Asiatic lilies to be precise.  I first gave the photo a frame using "splatter," which gives a ragged appearance on the edges.  It really did enhance the photo - drawing the viewers attention to the center where the lilies are located.  There are also features for adjusting the sharpness, amount of light and an enhance feature, which adjusted the look of the photo, depending on the topic.  There was a special choice for "scenery," which fit my photo almost perfectly.  Overall this app is really useful for people who like to play around with photographs or just for those who need to fix up their photos a little bit.  The app is easy-to-use and has a variety of features - more than I mentioned above.  This app would be prefect for a beginners photography class (in the school or library) or to "jazz up" pictures and photos that are displayed in the library.  The fact that anyone can use it easily adds to its value - elementary school children would have no problem with this app - and it might foster an interest in photography.  The app could also be used to add variety to photos in scrapbooks, which often are themed and utilize different frames and picture styles.  A scrapbook class at the public library could find a lot of uses for this app.  All -in-all, this is one of the best apps I've looked at so far.

Post #8: Social Media Management Tools - Friendcaster

This was the hardest blog for me so far.  The task of linking social management tools together is not a concept I am interested in.  I have a few accounts, like Facebook and LinkedIn, but I don't particularly want to link them together using one app because, to me, they are completely separate - one is for my personal life and one is for my work (career) life.  I decided to try Friendcaster, so I could focus on Facebook without having to link it to anything else.  I downloaded the app and I actually didn't find it very useful or engaging.  It's good for people who like to check Facebook on their mobile devices, but it doesn't do very much that a person couldn't do on a personal computer or laptop.  It displays friends' posts in cascading order and has a sidebar where the user can click on all of the different "pages" from their Facebook account, but it adds nothing new or interesting.  Also, the app runs annoying ads on the bottom of the page which attempt to get the user to click on surveys, paid games and other advertisements.  The only useful application for a library that I can think of is this app could be installed on a librarian's mobile device and used for showing patrons the library's Facebook page, as well as the links to library services.  Otherwise, its only good for those who use their mobile devices to interact with their Facebook accounts.

Post #14: Videos - Viddy

Viddy is a program that enables the user to record brief videos and share them with others via Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites.  Videos are easy to record and share because of the easy links.  Accessing recorded videos on the ipad is a bit more difficult, but overall the app works well.  This app would be useful for making and posting short videos of people doing testimonials for a library's services or for providing people with a tour of each part of the library.  In the classroom, ipads could be used to record student presentations (or at least small parts or snippets) to help students become better presenters.  The length of the videos is short, so it is limiting.  Another use would be in the English learner classrooms, where students often need to work on developing their reading and speaking skills. With this this app, students could record each other reading or speaking and then play them back to make improvements.  All-in-all, there are uses for this app, but it is very limited and would never take the place of other video programs with more features and options.

Post #13: Presentations - Deck Slideshow Presentations

Deck Slideshow Presentations is an app that allows users to easily create a slideshow of information without having to work on the design aspect themselves.  It provides easy-to-type boxes for the user to insert text and then presents the information in an attractive way.  It has many different slide layouts/designs to choose from, but many don't seem very professional and most cost extra to purchase.  I have used several different types of programs to present information - Power Point, Google, Projeqt and others - and I like them all better than Deck Slideshow because there are more tools and choices for how best to present the information.  This would be a useful app for someone who is just learning how to present on a computer or other electronic device.  It would also be useful in a classroom if a teacher wanted students to focus on presenting information instead of the different "bells and whistles" of other presentation programs.  The app is simple and easy-to-use and the creations can be exported.  A third use would be for people who are traveling and want to work on presentations while moving around - focusing on content instead of layout.  Personally, I don't think I would ever use this app - I actually like to include some creativity in the presentations I make - so this app actually takes some of the fun out of it.